If your kid is in SMACS how much HW do they get a night?

[Anonymous]

I could be wrong but I thought there were three waves of buses.
About 2:30, local routes
About 3:30, magnet routes due to extra 9th period and MS kids
About 4:40, activity buses

[Anonymous]

Please let us know what is study hall, we are new to this program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could be wrong but I thought there were three waves of buses.
About 2:30, local routes
About 3:30, magnet routes due to extra 9th period and MS kids
About 4:40, activity buses

That’s correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

Feeling clueless, but isn't functions part of the math sequence, so they have to take it at some time? So, the question would be whether they take it in 9th or 10th?

My DD had to test into functions and then was offered a choice of proceeding or going back to the regular math. She chose functions but really likes going fast, can keep up, and loves Math and always have. She does that work in Study hall and then does her other homework at home. She works in shifts but goes to sleep around 11p every night as she is up at 5:30a to get ready for the drive to the 6:30a bus. She feels this is a good fit as she wants to double major in Astrophysics and Applied Mathematics. This is what she thinks she wants to do but it will be interesting to see what she actually majors in.

While nonmagnet students have 8 periods (7 classes + 1 lunch period), magnet students have 9 periods (can take 8 classes + 1 lunch period.) Some magnet students take 7 classes + 1 study hall instead of 8 classes.

Comparing the workload of a student with a study hall to students who do not take a study hall is misleading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the activity bus. It's the magnet bus which leave about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC.

I think activity bus doubles for magnet dismissal in bounds.

Strongly doubt that since activity buses do not run on Mondays, Fridays, any day before a holiday, first and last weeks (or something along those lines) of the school year, ... - you get the picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the activity bus. It's the magnet bus which leave about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC.

The time between the regular end of the school day and when the magnet buses leave is 9th period. Most magnet kids are taking their 8th class this period. (Lunch is also considered a period, but is not a class.)

Correct. Lunch is period 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the activity bus. It's the magnet bus which leave about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC.

I think activity bus doubles for magnet dismissal in bounds.

Strongly doubt that since activity buses do not run on Mondays, Fridays, any day before a holiday, first and last weeks (or something along those lines) of the school year, ... - you get the picture.

I think the bus systems for Blair and Poolesville SMACS are a bit different

[Anonymous]

Poolesville has a 2:30 bus and a 4:30 bus that’s all. Students from all programs at poolesville can choose to take either bus. Smacs kids must take the 4:30 bus even though their 8th period ends at 3:25.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the activity bus. It's the magnet bus which leave about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC.

I think activity bus doubles for magnet dismissal in bounds.

Strongly doubt that since activity buses do not run on Mondays, Fridays, any day before a holiday, first and last weeks (or something along those lines) of the school year, ... - you get the picture.

My Blair kid said they run every day. But, PP is right about the bus shifts. I forgot after school stuff usually starts latee for mag kids. But, some things don't. I think some regular local kids do use the local mag buses if staying after a shorter period

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the activity bus. It's the magnet bus which leave about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC.

I think activity bus doubles for magnet dismissal in bounds.

Strongly doubt that since activity buses do not run on Mondays, Fridays, any day before a holiday, first and last weeks (or something along those lines) of the school year, ... - you get the picture.

I think the bus systems for Blair and Poolesville SMACS are a bit different

Correct. But the earlier poster is referring to the magnet bus that leaves "about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC." They are not referring to Poolesville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poolesville has a 2:30 bus and a 4:30 bus that’s all. Students from all programs at poolesville can choose to take either bus. Smacs kids must take the 4:30 bus even though their 8th period ends at 3:25.

So, just to clarify: At Blair, they get buses at regular dismissal time, a bus for SMACS kids at 3.30, and a separate 4:30 activity bus every day
But at Poolesville, they just get a regular dismissal bus and an activity/SMACS bus combined at 4:30 every day

[Anonymous]

Blair activity bus runs (tues, wed, thur) except for the days that have a day off before

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the activity bus. It's the magnet bus which leave about 50 minutes after the local buses for kids who are in the DCC.

I think activity bus doubles for magnet dismissal in bounds.

Strongly doubt that since activity buses do not run on Mondays, Fridays, any day before a holiday, first and last weeks (or something along those lines) of the school year, ... - you get the picture.

My Blair kid said they run every day. But, PP is right about the bus shifts. I forgot after school stuff usually starts latee for mag kids. But, some things don't. I think some regular local kids do use the local mag buses if staying after a shorter period

There may be some exceptions (it seems Poolesville may be an exception based on some other posts on this thread), but it has been the case (systemwide) for as long as I remember that activity buses do not run on Mondays and Fridays. For Blair, see https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhsclubs/activity-buses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poolesville has a 2:30 bus and a 4:30 bus that’s all. Students from all programs at poolesville can choose to take either bus. Smacs kids must take the 4:30 bus even though their 8th period ends at 3:25.

So, just to clarify: At Blair, they get buses at regular dismissal time, a bus for SMACS kids at 3.30, and a separate 4:30 activity bus every day
But at Poolesville, they just get a regular dismissal bus and an activity/SMACS bus combined at 4:30 every day

The downside of this for downcounty kids is the combined MS and HS magnet buses. Since MS and HS magnet kids travel together. MSers have to leave earlier than they need to since the same buses have to drop off the HS kids at Blair first. Evening, when MS lets out, the magnet buses pick up the MS kids and then pick up the HS kids at 3:30 before they head home.

Upcounty, MS and HS magnet buses are separate and so MS magnet kids are not constrained by the HS bell times.

At Poolesville, local students and OOB magnet students *BOTH* have two options - 2:30 and 4:30. Only the STEM magnet kids have an extra period - humanities and ecology kids can leave at 2:30. (I am guessing because of how upcounty is more spread out, transportation can not get buses back to Poolesville by 3:30 after the middle school runs.)

It is all an artifact of geography/route optimization/etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Poolesville has a 2:30 bus and a 4:30 bus that’s all. Students from all programs at poolesville can choose to take either bus. Smacs kids must take the 4:30 bus even though their 8th period ends at 3:25.

So, just to clarify: At Blair, they get buses at regular dismissal time, a bus for SMACS kids at 3.30, and a separate 4:30 activity bus every day
But at Poolesville, they just get a regular dismissal bus and an activity/SMACS bus combined at 4:30 every day

The downside of this for downcounty kids is the combined MS and HS magnet buses. Since MS and HS magnet kids travel together. MSers have to leave earlier than they need to since the same buses have to drop off the HS kids at Blair first. Evening, when MS lets out, the magnet buses pick up the MS kids and then pick up the HS kids at 3:30 before they head home.

Upcounty, MS and HS magnet buses are separate and so MS magnet kids are not constrained by the HS bell times.

At Poolesville, local students and OOB magnet students *BOTH* have two options - 2:30 and 4:30. Only the STEM magnet kids have an extra period - humanities and ecology kids can leave at 2:30. (I am guessing because of how upcounty is more spread out, transportation can not get buses back to Poolesville by 3:30 after the middle school runs.)

It is all an artifact of geography/route optimization/etc.

The middle school runs with the regular dismissal HS bus - the kids share MS and HS routes in poolesville cluster